1 Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to an engine control apparatus for use in a system equipped with an engine and an engine starter which includes an electric motor and a pinion gear to which torque, as produced by the electric motor, is transmitted for starting the engine.
2 Background Art
For instance, Japanese Patent First Publication No. 2002-188549 teaches an engine control apparatus designed to reduce mechanical noise occurring upon start of an internal combustion engine. The engine control apparatus works to increase the speed of the engine up to a given reference speed and then ignite fuel in the engine to start the engine. The reference speed is fixed to a value higher than a minimum value of a speed range in which the engine is operable stably.
The inventor of this application has faced a drawback in that when the reference speed is fixed, the noise which arises while the speed of a crankshaft of the engine is being elevated by cranking of the engine may increase. There is, therefore, room for improvement in reducing the noise generated when the engine is being started.